Public Affairs Manager

A career without limits

As the nation’s flag carrier, we take great pride in connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain.

It’s something we’ve been doing for over 100 years, ever since we launched the world’s first international scheduled air service between London and Paris.

This originality has been in our blood since day one. It’s the spirit we share with the people that fly with us, our partners, and our colleagues.

So, whether you are a reassuring voice on the end of a phone, a smile at the door, under a wing keeping the turbines spinning or landing us gently in far-flung places, a job at British Airways is yours to make.

We know great things can happen when you’re inspired to think big and bring your ambition to work every day, which is why, at British Airways the sky is never the limit.

Join our dynamic Corporate Affairs and Sustainability team at British Airways as a Corporate Communications Lead, where you'll shape and deliver strategic communications that champion our corporate narrative. From financial reporting and sustainability to elevating the external profile of our CEO, this role is vital in promoting our strategy and strengthening our brand reputation across the media landscape.

The Role: Public Affairs Manager

The candidate will be part of the Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Directorate, an integral part of the business that is responsible for promoting and defending the airline's reputation with both internal and external stakeholders.

What you’ll do:

Political & Stakeholder Engagement: Builds and maintains relationships with key political contacts to update them on business issues, opportunities and challenges

Campaigns and Lobbying: Works with external agencies as appropriate to execute strategies and implement campaigns aligned to business priorities, to engage political stakeholders, influence policy, and enhance the airline’s reputation in Whitehall, Parliament, and industry circles

Government & Diplomatic Relations: Plans and manages international government engagement, supporting route launches and withdrawals, market access, and regulatory compliance

Policy & Advocacy: Monitors and analyses legislative and regulatory developments at national, European, and international levels, providing timely insights and recommendations

Strategic Communications: Creates and delivers well-researched briefing materials, consultation responses, speeches, and government correspondence to support policy objectives

Industry engagement and representation: Engages with industry associations and external organisations to strengthen collective lobbying efforts and represents the airline at key industry forums, collaborating to align on advocacy efforts

Crisis & Issues Management: Provides government affairs support during crises and disruptions, ensuring effective stakeholder communication and manages individual international travel arrangements related to government affairs activity and initiatives

Cross-functional Collaboration: Works closely with the IAG Government Affairs team and internal business units to align advocacy with commercial objectives

What you’ll bring to British Airways:

Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills

Strong situational awareness, judgement and ability to proactively pre-empt issues and consequences and propose solutions and learnings

Relentlessly upbeat and continually motivated to drive performance and improvement

Juggles and prioritises multiple tasks and translates complex issues into simple narratives

Advises, challenges and influences senior leaders

Comfortable with ambiguity and able to work in and respond to a fast-paced, deadline driven, changeable and complex operating environment

Strong awareness of the news and political agenda and current affairs

Positive attitude, with a growth mindset

Attention to detail and accuracy

Self-starter, uses initiative and problem solves

Flexible, embraces change and open to new ideas

Creative

Resilient, calm under pressure and delivers to deadline

Able to plan, organise, prioritise and manage workload

Builds relationships and networks effectively

Caring, tactful and diplomatic

Your experience:

Significant, relevant and demonstrable Government or Public Affairs experience

Established relationships within the UK Government

Demonstrable understanding of how Government and Government departments work and get things done

Experience of handling and building relationships with MPs, Government representatives, Civil Servants, etc

Good knowledge of global, fast-paced consumer-facing business and/or 24/7 operational and unionised environments

What we offer:

We believe that all the people who work with us should feel valued for the part they play. It’s one of the reasons our rewards go far beyond a competitive salary.

From the day you join us, you’ll get access to brilliant staff travel benefits including unlimited basic and premium standby tickets on British Airways flights. You’ll also receive up to 30 discounted ‘Hotline’ airfares per year for yourself, friends, and family.

At British Airways you’ll have the chance to take on new challenges and move forward in a way that feels right for you. We encourage all those who work for us to consider opportunities right across our business to help you develop and progress.

We never stand still, and we don’t expect our people to either.

Inclusion & Diversity

At British Airways we all have a part to play in creating an inclusive place to work. Diverse representation among our people is really important to us and we recognise that all our colleagues are uniquely different and bring their own originality, creativity and identity to work.

Inclusion and diversity is a key driver of innovation and we’re committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they can be themselves. We’re looking for people from all backgrounds and cultures to join us and be a part of our journey to become a Better BA as we continue to connect Britain with the world and the world with Britain.